 The first line, "unfold, oh timid flower," implies that the youth is silent, maybe daunted, and consequently

tly has
not yet gone into full bloom for whatever reason there is that may have silenced them.

 In the beginning stanza, Rizal encourages the youth, by telling them to hold their heads high for they
possess talents and skills and abilities that would make their country proud

 Fair hope to my motherland- Rizal saw hope from the Filipino yout

 The second verse can be rearranged in contemporary English to say: "Oh genius great, soar high; and fill
their mind with noble thoughts. May their virgin mind fly and find the honor's glorious seat more rapidly than
the wind." Here, Rizal calls to genious to fill young minds with noble thoughts and hopes that as they release
their thinking from the chains that bind, they may be able to soar swiftly high where the joy of honor is.

 Contrary to the second verse, which talked about ascending and soaring to the heights, this third stanza now
talks about descent, and a downward motion of the great genius to fill the earthly strokes of art and science
with their magnificent ideas. Again, Rizal calls them to break the chains that bind their intellect. "Poetic
genius" here does not necessarily pertain to the talent of writing poetry. Instead, the term "poetic" is simply
an adjective to describe genius, meaning that it is deep and mystifying and heavy with meaning.

 The fourth stanza depicts the good things about the Spaniards. I do believe that Rizal wrote it this way so
that there will be no malicious offense charged against him. It is prohibited to speak against the Spaniards
during that time. On the other hand, it is also accepted that the Spaniards contributed a lot to the country,
though there are controversies about it. They educated us, but not the kind of education that we really need.
Well, education can go a long way. Education is not always positive; it can be the other way around.

 In these two stanzas, Rizal calls the youth to seek the beauty of poetry and music, which he himself values
greatly as essentials in every manner of life. He claims that poetry is "more sweet than divine honey," and
that music can "dissipate man's sorrow's blight."

 Rizal here addresses the youth, comparing their abilities to a magic brush that can capture even the most
majestic views and the most glorious charms on a blank canvas.
 The last stanza is a charge, urging the youth to run, for a glorious crown awaits them. The "sphere" here
pertains to the world, showing that Rizal believed the Filipino youth is as brilliant as those in any other
nation, and is able to contend with even the strongest powers if they only set their mind to making most of
what they already have.

They asked me for verses

The first stanza of the poem “They ask me for verses”, speaks of the time when Jose Rizal was writing this poem. In
the first stanza Jose Rizal used a lyre to symbolize his writing; The members of the society requested him to write a
poem, even though he doesn’t find it easy to write poems any more, he tried to write and finish what he have started.

The first, second and third line of the second stanza talks about his memories from the past that he cherish and longs
for. While the fourth line talks about his happy childhood days and all the friendship he made from the past. He
compared it with the fifth line by saying that from his present life those friends are not as much as those from his past.
The sixth line means he will always have those memories with him. The seventh and eighth line talks about the
festive plays where melodies will always remain in him. The second to the last line with the last line talks about those
poetries and melodies from his place that always soar in his mind.

The first, second and third line of the second stanza talks about his memories from the past that he cherish and longs
for. While the fourth line talks about his happy childhood days and all the friendship he made from the past. He
compared it with the fifth line by saying that from his present life those friends are not as much as those from his past.
The sixth line means he will always have those memories with him. The seventh and eighth line talks about the
festive plays where melodies will always remain in him. The second to the last line with the last line talks about those
poetries and melodies from his place that always soar in his mind.